Steve Jobs To Retire?

[deanbo]

Now that I've got your attention...

He's currently 50? Like someone else said, how long do you want to spend making sure more transistors go onto a chip? I believe that the move to Intel is a sign that retirement is impending, guessing within the next 5 years.

Moving to Intel was a bold move in anyones book, and probably the best chance Apple has to become the world's biggest computer company. After all as Steve Jobs said himself, it's about the software, and who gives a better software experience then Apple? And what better note to retire on? Call it the final stand, swansong, whatever. Which is why I think the switch to Intel has a little more to do with Steve Jobs himself than IBM's roadmap.

 

[mad jew]

Maybe but I don't think the Intel switch has anything to do with it. Steve's a pretty unique CEO so it's pretty difficult to say how far he'll go age-wise but I'm guessing he'll still have a presence at 60. If only to see a pay rise from his single dollar income.

 

[skubish]

Now that I've got your attention...

He's currently 50? Like someone else said, how long do you want to spend making sure more transistors go onto a chip? I believe that the move to Intel is a sign that retirement is impending, guessing within the next 5 years.

Moving to Intel was a bold move in anyones book, and probably the best chance Apple has to become the world's biggest computer company. After all as Steve Jobs said himself, it's about the software, and who gives a better software experience then Apple? And what better note to retire on? Call it the final stand, swansong, whatever. Which is why I think the switch to Intel has a little more to do with Steve Jobs himself than IBM's roadmap.

50 is pretty young to retire. 50 is pretty young to even be a CEO. I doubt it will happen in 10 years. I don't think his ego will allow him to retire.

 

[iGary]

He enjoys what he does too much and has said so. He's not interested in retiring, as he has too many things he still wants to accomplish.

In other words: No. Time. Soon.

 

[eva01]

his chances of retiring are the same as the chances of theo epstein retiring

 

[Benjamin]

This sounds sorta like Netcraft confirming that Apple been dying for the last 20 years. Apple isn't about money for Steve its about ego, I doubt he will retire before 65.

 

[miloblithe]

While he could step back a little at some time in the next couple decades, like stop doing the keynotes, barring a major health issue, I can't see him retiring either. If there was some new challenge for him I could see him jumping ship and taking on a new company, but just retiring bacause he's old? Not a chance. He's not.

 

[Abstract]

I doubt he would voluntarily retire before 75.

 

[0098386]

50 is pretty young to retire. 50 is pretty young to even be a CEO. I doubt it will happen in 10 years. I don't think his ego will allow him to retire.

im only 19 and CEO of my very own company but does that count for a 1 man freeware game making company? AND i earn significantly less than $1 per year. try nothing

but seriously. i doubt Jobs will retire for a while yet. he's hoisted Apple up and i doubt they'd let him go quietly.

 

[JeffTL]

He's got it pretty easy, I'd say, even with the international travel

My money's on the 65-70 range if Apple stays in the black, and I can't say about Pixar.

 

[Artful Dodger]

When you love doing something it's never work or a job but a way of life for those people and hardly about money, more an idea being brought to life. Since he still has things to accomplish (what they might be?) he will be around for a long time to come with Apple, after all it was his in the first place and now it's the second time around

 

[katie ta achoo]

I can't see Steve Jobs retiring anytime soon.

I'd like to see him giving a keynote at MacWorld 2018, wheeling around the stage in his wifi-enabled PowerChair, using mind control to use the PowerMac P39.

That'd be so cool...

 

[ham_man]

Nah. Just speculation. Assuming he isn't fired for some reason, it will not happen as long as he can walk onto the stage and give a Keynote...

 

[rosalindavenue]

When you have had a health scare like Steve has just had, I would not be surprised at anything he did. I think he knows he can do more for the world at Apple than at Pixar, however.

 

[MattG]

Steve will die at Apple...I don't see him going anywhere.

 

[Sun Baked]

Apple is going bankrupt...

Apple is releasing the PowerBook G5 Tuesday...

Apple Corps will own Apple...

That new Apple iPod will fail and destroy Apple...

Now we have -- Steve Jobs will retire.

 

[mad jew]

Apple is going bankrupt...

Apple is releasing the PowerBook G5 Tuesday...

Apple Corps will own Apple...

That new Apple iPod will fail and destroy Apple...

Now we have -- Steve Jobs will retire.

Well something's gotta replace the old "Apple is moving to Intel" threads.

 

[law guy]

The executive mindset is an interesting one. Someone above said, it's not about the money. I think in large part that's right (the money is important, but more because of what it says about how the person is valued / how successful, etc.). Look at CEO pay and you get that feeling. My favorite is the severance package these guys put together - Dick Cheney gets a $16 million buyout for leaving Halliburton; what was the NYSE severance package - tens of millions. It's fanastic world in which you get paid for agreeing to do no more work for a company; a lot of us would take that money and spend a wonderful life with family, pursuing our non-paying interests, etc. These guys take $15 million and go to the next turn-around.

In general, it seems like it's more about ambition / self-perception / enjoying success. Steve Jobs adds to that more obsession to win and ego than some and it seems like he's in the CEO game for awhile. I'm not sure it's work for him - if what you do makes up so much of your interest, what you want to spend time on (those folks that 'love' their work), that sort of intertwined personality may not want to retire.

 

[Sun Baked]

Some of them are smart enough to sign pay packages like Michael Ovitz, he signed one where it forced Disney to pay all bonuses and pay for the entire life of his contract if he was fired early "without cause."

One of the reason his firing cost so much, since it immediately triggered the massive buyout clause.

But, those are generally the case when you take somebody away from their own company -- because you sure as heck don't expect to terminate them at the beginning of their contract, usually towards the middle/end when it doesn't look so bad.

If they would have fired him "for-cause" it would most likely have eliminated the insane bonus amount, and lowered the buyout to a less insane level (like maybe base salary.)

Several major boardroom oopses that I don't think Michael Ovitz should be penalized for, and his case should serve as a lesson.

 

[IJ Reilly]

We don't know much about the state of Steve's health except for what they tell us, which isn't much. Personally, I don't think he looked his old self at the last two public events -- kind of tired, scratchy voice. I think he's having a tough time bouncing back from the cancer bout. Even if he does fully recover, close brushes with the great beyond have a way of changing a person's life. Even highly egocentric people like Steve Jobs will start to reexamine what their life is about, and the every-day pressure cooker existence of running two major corporations may not be it. I wouldn't expect him to retire abruptly, unless his health demanded it, or Apple's fortunes suddenly went south, but don't be surprised if he starts moving gradually away from center stage.

This might actually be a good thing. Apple can't be "Steve's company" forever.

 

[runninmac]

I don't see him retiring anytime soon. But as IJ Reilly said he has been lookin/sounding/acting alot older at WWDC this year. The only reason he may retire (and i highly doubt this will happen) is that he may have health problems.

 

[CubaTBird]

i remember looking at the archives and reading a TON of hate messages when the first new ipod came out some four years ago... crazy how times have changed...

 

[yellow]

I think it's about as likely as Microsoft buying Apple.

 

[gabriel_uk]

When you have had a health scare like Steve has just had, I would not be surprised at anything he did. I think he knows he can do more for the world at Apple than at Pixar, however.

Didn't know about that - what kind of health scare was it?

 

[theappleguy]

Didn't know about that - what kind of health scare was it?

He had pancreatic cancer. You can find out more here and here